The
Glorietta bombing last Friday, October 19, showed us that in times of
disaster and crisis, Dick Gordon of the Philippine National Red Cross
(PNRC) is someone you can rely on to always be there for you.
It was just like Gordon rushing to the scene like the MV Asuncion
sinking in 1987, the earthquake in Central Colleges in Cabanatuan in
1990, and the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991.
Dick and PNRC volunteers were the first response teams to arrive at the Glorietta shortly after the blast at 1:20 p.m.
Deployed were six ambulances with 20 staff and volunteers of medical
and rescue teams from different PNRC chapters to provide search,
rescue and medical assistance to the victims. While the law
enforcement authorities had to secure and collect evidence from the
carnage site, Gordon and the PNRC teams, amidst the ensuing chaos and
confusion, immediately addressed the concerns of both the victims and
their loved ones by coordinating information bulletins with the
hospitals and funeral homes.
Ten of the injured were treated by the PNRC
team on-site while Welfare Desks were installed immediately near Ground
Zero and at the Makati Medical Center and Ospital ng Makati
to assist those trying to locate their loved ones who might have been
inside the mall at the time of the explosion. A good number of those
missing or unaccounted for were successfully located by the teams.
When the rest gave up hope and called it a
day that early evening, Dick Gordon returned and stayed behind to
comfort relatives still waiting at the blast site for news about their
missing relatives. The scene was like that of the Zambales fishermen
in 2005 who were lost at sea for 19 days and given up for dead until
Sen. Gordon tapped the US Navy to track via an Orion plane the
whereabouts of the men to be picked up the Philippine Navy along the
coast of Palawan. \u003c/p\>\u003cp\> \u003c/p\>\n\u003cp\>At the Glorietta 4 Friday evening, Norlita\nTan, looking distraught, approached the PNRC Welfare Desk to seek help\nin locating her husband, Renier, who had been with her inside the mall\nshortly before the\u003cspan\> \u003c/span\>explosion. She just had her\neyeglasses repaired at an optical shop at Glorietta 4, leaving her\nhusband to pass time by himself strolling around the area. Little did\nshe know that that would be the last time she would see him alive.\u003c/p\>\u003cp\>\u003cbr\>\u003c/p\>\n\u003cp\>Gordon sought clearance from law\nenforcement agencies and the mall management who had secured the area\nand were now on clearing operations before he deployed the PNRC\u003cspan\> \u003c/span\>search-and-rescue team back to the site to search for Norlita's husband.\u003c/p\>\u003cp\>\u003cbr\>\u003c/p\>\n\u003cp\>Utilizing search cameras and an audio\nprobe, the team found a wallet belonging to the reported missing\nMaureen De Leon among the debris, near where the\u003cspan\> \u003c/span\>bodies of her companions, Gee-Ann de Gracia and Carlo Niño Vigamo, were found earlier that afternoon.\u003c/p\>\u003cp\> \u003c/p\>\n\u003cp\>Gordon inspected the wallet and found the telephone number of Gerardo De Leon, father of Maureen. On the phone, De Leon\ntold Dick that Maureen was not home. Dick advised him to proceed to the\nsite since Maureen was not on the list of victims taken to hospitals\nand funeral homes. Dick also tried to track Maureen through her\nemployer, Tots Romualdez, who was his classmate and who also joined in\nthe vigil for news.\u003c/p\>\u003cp\>\u003cbr\>\u003c/p\>\n\u003cp\>At that time Norlita was waiting at the\nsite for word about her husband, with Dick and PNRC people never\nleaving her side, offering comfort and encouragement in that time of\nuncertainty. Gerardo and his wife Mercedes also received the same kind\nof support and comfort while they were at the site for hours on end\nwaiting for their daughter, Maureen, to be found. Both Norlita and the\nDe Leons believed that Renier and Maureen were still inside the\nbuilding.\u003c/p\>\u003cp\>\u003cbr\>\u003c/p\>\n\u003cp\>Dick once again deployed the PNRC\nsearch-and-rescue team back on site this time, armed with hooligan\ntools, a portable chain saw, K7 circular cutters and hydraulic rescue\nrams, a spreader, and cutters to break through piles of concrete and\nsteel at the pinpointed target area.”,1]
);
//–>
At the Glorietta 4 Friday evening, Norlita
Tan, looking distraught, approached the PNRC Welfare Desk to seek help
in locating her husband, Renier, who had been with her inside the mall
shortly before the explosion. She just had her
eyeglasses repaired at an optical shop at Glorietta 4, leaving her
husband to pass time by himself strolling around the area. Little did
she know that that would be the last time she would see him alive.
Gordon sought clearance from law
enforcement agencies and the mall management who had secured the area
and were now on clearing operations before he deployed the PNRC search-and-rescue team back to the site to search for Norlita’s husband.
Utilizing search cameras and an audio
probe, the team found a wallet belonging to the reported missing
Maureen De Leon among the debris, near where the bodies of her companions, Gee-Ann de Gracia and Carlo Niño Vigamo, were found earlier that afternoon.
Gordon inspected the wallet and found the telephone number of Gerardo De Leon, father of Maureen. On the phone, De Leon
told Dick that Maureen was not home. Dick advised him to proceed to the
site since Maureen was not on the list of victims taken to hospitals
and funeral homes. Dick also tried to track Maureen through her
employer, Tots Romualdez, who was his classmate and who also joined in
the vigil for news.
At that time Norlita was waiting at the
site for word about her husband, with Dick and PNRC people never
leaving her side, offering comfort and encouragement in that time of
uncertainty. Gerardo and his wife Mercedes also received the same kind
of support and comfort while they were at the site for hours on end
waiting for their daughter, Maureen, to be found. Both Norlita and the
De Leons believed that Renier and Maureen were still inside the
building.
Dick once again deployed the PNRC
search-and-rescue team back on site this time, armed with hooligan
tools, a portable chain saw, K7 circular cutters and hydraulic rescue
rams, a spreader, and cutters to break through piles of concrete and
steel at the pinpointed target area.\u003cp\>\u003cbr\>\u003c/p\>\n\u003cp\>\u003cspan\> \u003c/span\>Barely an hour later, at around 2 a.m.,\nof Saturday, October 20, the PNRC team found the lifeless body of\nReinier Tan buried in debris at the foot of the escalator at the atrium\nof Glorietta 2. With some difficulty, Dick told Norlita that Renier\nhad been found.\u003c/p\>\u003cp\>\u003cbr\>\u003c/p\>\n\u003cp\>Maureen's body was found at 10:30 that evening — 33 hours after the explosion — by the joint search and rescue teams of PNRC and Makati\u003cspan\> \u003c/span\>City. \nUpon being informed of the discovery, Dick excused himself and returned\nto the blast scene, leaving his wife Kate with their friends to watch\nthe New Minstrels show.\u003c/p\>\u003cp\>\u003cbr\>\u003c/p\>\n\u003cp\>\u003cspan\> \u003c/span\>"Even if we can't\nprovide relief to the family members by finding their missing relatives\nalive, at least we provide closure to their search. This is all part\nof the efforts of the Red Cross to alleviate human suffering," Dick\nsaid. "We are relentless in our search. We don't give up until we find\nthem simply because their respective families do not have plans of\ngiving up themselves."\u003c/p\>\u003cp\>\u003cbr\>\u003c/p\>\n\u003cp\>Those still seeking missing relatives may contact the Social Services Group of PNRC though 5270000.\u003c/p\>\n\u003cp style\u003d\”text-align:center\” align\u003d\”center\”\>*\u003cspan\> \u003c/span\>*\u003cspan\> \u003c/span\>*\u003c/p\>\nMy e-mail:\u003ca href\u003d\”mailto:dominimt2000@yahoo.com\” target\u003d\”_blank\” onclick\u003d\”return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\”\>dominimt2000@yahoo.com\u003c/a\>\u003cbr\>\n\u003c/span\>\u003c/div\>”,0]
);
//–>
Barely an hour later, at around 2 a.m.,
of Saturday, October 20, the PNRC team found the lifeless body of
Reinier Tan buried in debris at the foot of the escalator at the atrium
of Glorietta 2. With some difficulty, Dick told Norlita that Renier
had been found.
Maureen’s body was found at 10:30 that evening — 33 hours after the
explosion — by the joint search and rescue teams of PNRC and Makati City.
Upon being informed of the discovery, Dick excused himself and returned
to the blast scene, leaving his wife Kate with their friends to watch
the New Minstrels show.
"Even if we can’t
provide relief to the family members by finding their missing relatives
alive, at least we provide closure to their search. This is all part
of the efforts of the Red Cross to alleviate human suffering," Dick
said. "We are relentless in our search. We don’t give up until we find
them simply because their respective families do not have plans of
giving up themselves."
Those still seeking missing relatives may contact the Social Services Group of PNRC though 5270000.
* * *
Opinion
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Opinion&p=49&type=2&sec=25&aid=2007102279
Flash Gordon to the rescue
FROM THE STANDS By Domini M. Torrevillas
The Philippine Star !–
D(["mb","\u003cdiv\>\u003cdiv class\u003dea\>\u003cspan id\u003de_115c8bc88956c120_2\>- Show quoted text -\u003c/span\>\u003c/div\>\u003cspan class\u003de id\u003dq_115c8bc88956c120_2\>\u003cbr\>\u003cspan\>Tuesday, October 23, 2007\u003cbr\>\u003c/span\> \u003ca name\u003d\"115c8bc88956c120_115c8abfc5746a44_p0\"\>\u003c/a\>\u003cp\>The\nGlorietta bombing last Friday, October 19, showed us that in times of\ndisaster and crisis, Dick Gordon of the Philippine National Red Cross\n(PNRC) is someone you can rely on to always be there for you.\u003c/p\>\n\u003cp\>It was just like Gordon rushing to the scene like the MV Asuncion sinking in 1987, the earthquake in Central Colleges in Cabanatuan in 1990, and the Mt.\u003cspan\> \u003c/span\>Pinatubo eruption in 1991. \u003cbr\>\u003c/p\>\u003cp\>\u003cbr\>\u003c/p\>\n\u003cp\>Dick and PNRC volunteers were the first response teams to arrive at the Glorietta shortly after the blast at 1:20 p.m. \nDeployed were six ambulances with 20 staff and volunteers of medical\nand rescue teams from different PNRC chapters to provide search,\nrescue and medical assistance to the victims. While the law\nenforcement authorities had to secure and collect evidence from the\ncarnage site, Gordon and the PNRC teams, amidst the ensuing chaos and\nconfusion, immediately addressed the concerns of both the victims and\ntheir loved ones by coordinating information bulletins with the\nhospitals and funeral homes.\u003c/p\>\u003cp\>\u003cbr\>\u003c/p\>\n\u003cp\>Ten of the injured were treated by the PNRC\nteam on-site while Welfare Desks were installed immediately near Ground\nZero and at the Makati Medical Center and Ospital ng Makati\nto assist those trying to locate their loved ones who might have been\ninside the mall at the time of the explosion. A good number of those\nmissing or unaccounted for were successfully located by the teams. \u003cbr\>\u003c/p\>\u003cp\>\u003cbr\>\u003c/p\>\n\u003cp\>When the rest gave up hope and called it a\nday that early evening, Dick Gordon returned and stayed behind to\ncomfort relatives still waiting at the blast site for news about their\nmissing relatives. The scene was like that of the Zambales fishermen\nin 2005 who were lost at sea for 19 days and given up for dead until\nSen. Gordon tapped the US Navy to track via an Orion plane the\nwhereabouts of the men to be picked up the Philippine Navy along the\ncoast of Palawan. ",1]
);
//–>
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
